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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27542203">A Light in the Cold</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Symme/pseuds/Symme'>Symme</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>World of Warcraft</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 17:01:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>15,723</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27542203</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Symme/pseuds/Symme</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Raiel has been told ever since he was but an altar boy that the outside world is no place for a cleric, and that should he wish to explore it, he would have to learn the ways of a paladin. Rejecting this belief, he has maintained his priesthood all throughout his adolescence; and so he has remained, confined to Stormwind's Cathedral of Light. But when the Scourge is let loose upon humanity once more and its defenders are called to rise to the occasion, Raiel sneaks away from his clergy and sets out on his own towards the heart of death itself to aid the champions of Azeroth, intent on proving his worth by whatever means necessary.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So, this is part of the backstory for my RP characters over on Moon Guard - U.S. If you ever want to hit me up in-game, feel free to send me a tell (character name is Raîel) or come find me over in Icecrown! Hope you like it ^_^</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Against an opaque miasma of sleet, a lone humanoid form struggled against the unforgiving weather of Icecrown. Knee-deep in rime and trudging against the biting cold, the cleric found his path illuminated solely by the dimly-lit lantern he carried in one hand, the other wielding the staff which anchored him to the ground. Gazing up for a moment at the sharpness of the tempest which surrounded him on all sides, he shivered and shook; and as he did, but a single thought crossed the human's mind:</p><p>
  <em>I should never have come here...</em>
</p><p>Still, thoughts of home urged him to press forward. He could never go back. He <em>would</em> never go back. To be stymied by the forces of frost and death was, to him, still a more feasible obstacle than his clergy's own oppression. He could still remember their words so very clearly:</p><p>
  <em>"You mean to leave this place? What, do you believe your prayers alone will drive back a raid of bloodthirsty orcs?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"If you seek to help those beyond this city, you had best pick up a sword and a shield first, lad. The outside world is no place for a cleric such as yourself."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"In your current state, you will die out there. Perhaps you should consider learning the ways of a paladin. It might serve you well, Raiel."</em>
</p><p>The mere thought caused him to grimace; moreso than even the blizzard's unforgiving nature could accomplish. Still, Raiel pressed on, as he knew his only alternative was to give up and go home; and to surrender now would succeed only in proving his superiors right. He would <strong>die</strong> before he allowed that to happen.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Within the belly of the blistering cold, minutes felt like hours, and hours felt like days. The cleric's digits - numb and blue beneath their silk - had practically merged with the hilt of his weapon. The Light's warmth could only do so much to keep the chill of death at bay, and Raiel knew that if he did not find shelter soon, he would amount to nothing more than yet another frostbitten corpse to be claimed by Northrend. With every other moment, the cleric spoke in his mind a prayer. He yearned for the Light's protection, yearned to know warmth once more; but most of all, Raiel yearned to know he hadn't made a mistake that would sooner cost him his life than prove anything to anyone.</p><p>And only after replicating that same orison at least a dozen times over did it seem for a moment to have finally been answered, the mist-blurred silhouettes of several men coming into view.</p><p>Raiel's eyes widened only for a moment, and he approached with caution the others in question, raising his lantern in their direction and calling out against the howling winds, "... H-Hello?!..."</p><p>His wariness remained until he had managed to get a better look at them, and relief flooded his chilled bones as he managed to make out the distinct crest of the Argent Crusade upon the tabards each of them wore.</p><p>"Thank the Light," he murmured to himself, hastening his pace in an effort to lessen the distance between himself and salvation. And yet, Raiel still found himself somewhat perturbed; in part by the way the other men did not move, and in part by the way they did not speak. Still, he would not turn down a boon from the Light, and continued his approach nonetheless; only to recoil with a weak, yet fervid gasp at what he saw, his lantern's flame flickering out as it fell to the snow with a dull thud.</p><p>It was only after he had ceased his approach that the men began theirs - appearing wholly unaffected by the cold's embrace - and it was with a sudden, ungraceful leap backwards into the snow that Raiel narrowly avoided the steel of one's blade, a horrid glow brimming within the sockets of his bare skull.</p><p>As he felt the agony of Icecrown's floor wrapping its algid touch wholly around his body, Raiel scrambled to rise to his feet, body quaking incessantly from both the cold and the fear which consumed him alike. Another skeletal swordsman's blade flew towards his form, and a hideous clang rang forth as it met with the cleric's staff, landing precisely between where both of Raiel's hands gripped his weapon.</p><p>Although he was focused entirely on the group of undead before him, he came gradually to the realization that they not all were attacking from his front. The sound of bones shambling from behind Raiel alerted him to this truth, and with desperation alone guiding his actions, he swung his staff in an arc towards those at his spine, miraculously managing to knock the skull clean from the body of an undead soldier. </p><p>Another unliving fiend - a ghoul - charged Raiel from his side, clambering on all fours towards the cleric. He responded swiftly, gilded chains sprouting forth from his palm and binding the aberration in place. As it was his only source of light amidst what was now a hapless struggle against the undead, he kept close to the shackled creature, though some distance yet remained between them as it continuously tried to chew and claw at him against its golden shackles.</p><p>Further ranks of the Scourge closed in on Raiel from every direction, and he frantically attempted to meet their every advance from his position. A searing bolt of holy fire was lobbed through the chest of a leaping geist, and the blunt end of his staff found itself penetrating the ribcage of a risen cadaver; all the while, his source of illumination was attempting to escape its prison in an equally frenzied manner.</p><p>It was not long before the blade of an unliving swordsman - though failing to cut through Raiel - managed to slice through the chains which had bound the ghoul, both beginning to near towards the cleric in simultaneous fashion. With frozen beads of sweat dripping down frostbitten skin, he slammed the blunt end of his staff into the snow, and from it emerged a resonating nova of holy magic, the likes of which burned to a crisp the remaining undead in his presence; their light-seared bodies sizzling against the raging cold.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Raiel fell to both knees and one hand, the other still upon his staff's hilt as it remained upright where he had not. He gasped for air, and was met only with the remorseless breath of Icecrown itself as it flooded his lungs. The cleric had only a moment to regain his composure before he was alerted to the sound and sensation of thundering footsteps in the distance. He rose, and attempted to pinpoint the source, failing to do so after several attempts.</p><p>It was then - perhaps in an act of divine intervention - that he had just barely managed to avoid being skewered by the hooked chain which soared out from the blinding storm. Raiel fell to one side, his staff knocked from his grip as it fell to the other. Writhing weakly upon the ground, he gazed towards the source of the assault, and found his eyes flooding with fear and disgust as the form of a brutish, lumbering abomination emerged from the fog, drawing the length of its weapon back towards itself in preparation for another attack. Along with it came several more denizens of the Scourge, ranging from skeletal casters in tattered garbs to lurching behemoths with decaying flesh dripping from their bones.</p><p>They came from all sides.</p><p>They were endless, whereas he was not.</p><p>He was done for.</p><p>Raiel curled up upon the frozen ground, his mind uttering a final, spontaneous prayer to the Light; only this time, he did not wish for salvation, nor the divine power to smite his foes.</p><p><em>Light... I wish only for a clean death,</em> he pleaded. <em>I have been foolish, and I have been reckless, but I have been brave above all else. Please... May that earn me swift and painless passage to the afterlife.</em></p><p>It seemed as though the aforementioned abomination would be the one to end Raiel's suffering, as it began to whirl its weapon above its head in a circular motion, ready to strike again. And this time, it would not miss.</p><p>The hook flew forth across the cold, and it was mere feet away from the cleric when it fell harmlessly to the ground beside him, a sudden, shimmering streak of gold having cut across the battlefield and snapped the chain in two.</p><p>Confusion spread across the features of both Raiel and his assailant, though the latter's expression soon turned to one of agony as its chest was torn open from behind. From the wound emerged the sight of a large, glistening blade, its luminosity dulled only by the necrotic innards it wore. Just as suddenly as it had appeared, the weapon was retracted from its position, and the gargantuan brute's eyes glazed over as it keeled to one side, a deafening slam accompanying its journey to the ground.</p><p>Its companions immediately turned their attention from the priest and towards what was clearly the greater threat, and one by one, they began to charge towards it; towards their second deaths.</p><p>The blade's wielder was as skilled as they were relentless, cutting through the undead as though they were nothing more than weeds to be culled from a garden. Each of them fell just the same, every wretch posing an equally diminutive threat to their target. It was not much longer before their seemingly endless numbers had, in fact, met their end.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>For a time, Raiel sat there in the snow, utterly bewildered by the thought of the sort of being that could possibly wield such power. As they stood from afar in silence, the storm which had done naught but hinder the cleric's journey gradually began to dissipate between the two of them, as if the blizzard itself was fearful of the raw ferocity which had been unleashed. Then, the figure began to draw closer, and as they did, Raiel could not find within himself the wherewithal to similarly move from his position, regardless of the potential threat to his well-being.</p><p>Their shapely form - that which he could now distinguish as female - grew more distinct as the distance between them lessened, and he soon realized just how much larger they were by comparison. She stood at least twice as tall as he, and outside of the few places across her body where plate armor concealed it, the might of her bare muscles was on full display, shining brightly against the alabaster fog. A golden helmet veiled all but a cascade of blonde, flowing hair, as well as her lips; those which were but a cold, unyielding line beneath it. She carried the aforementioned sword - now sullied by the necrotic blood of those felled - in one hand, the other an open palm at her side. And finally, he noticed a pair of glimmering, ethereal wings which sprouted from the figure's spine; currently folded, and yet still just as glorious as they would be were they not.</p><p>Above all else, he felt her radiate a warmth which he himself had never before felt, the likes of which made the cold of Icecrown - that which had plagued him previously - seem comparable to a gentle summer's day.</p><p>And he was in awe from the sensation.</p><p>For a single moment, Raiel believed that his prayers had been answered; not those which sought aid and warmth amidst the ruthless winter of Northrend, but rather his yearning for an honorable passing. The one before him was not his savior, but instead an angel meant to deliver him to the world beyond. And as he prepared to journey there, he closed his eyes and awaited his fate, for it was not his place to question those with such divinity at their beck and call.</p><p>...</p><p>And he waited.</p><p>...</p><p>And waited.</p><p>...</p><p>And waited still, and yet nothing happened.</p><p>After a time, Raiel gradually opened one eye, and then the other, gazing up at the imposing figure who - in all that time - had merely tilted her head down at the cleric. Mustering the courage and nerve alike to speak, he muttered incoherently at first, then finally managed to get a few words out, "-Light... D-did you... Did the Light... Did the Light send you... send you here to... t-to save me?..."</p><p>Mild surprise scarcely managed to make itself known across the other's lips, and she stared down at the human for a moment longer before allowing soft laughter to flow from them.</p><p>Soft at first, that is, for her soft laughter soon became a hearty chuckle, which in turn became a bellowing guffaw. This incrementation continued until she had in fact fallen to the ground from the sheer force of her own surprised mirth, repeatedly slamming one fist into the snow as she attempted to regain her composure. All the while, Raiel simply stared at the display, astonishment and fright mingling together upon a paled visage.</p><p>Thereafter, she rose to one knee, wiping aside a single glistening teardrop which had rolled down from beneath her helm. The priest stared wordlessly as she again stood upright and finally spoke, her booming voice cutting through the icy winds between them, "Did the Light send me? You could say this, yes. Did it send me to save the likes of YOU? Certainly not! I simply did not want another helpless soul added to the ranks of the unliving, as great as it would be to have more target practice!"</p><p>Raiel was speechless, finding it within himself to accept that whoever had saved him was not at all the noble, divine soul he believed them to be. Still, he was grateful to simply be alive, and summarily expressed that gratitude, still stammering, "W-Well, I... um... t-thank you, for... for saving me..."</p><p>He reached a hand towards her, hoping the larger woman would help him to his feet. Instead, she seemed preoccupied with something on the ground at her side, reaching down into the snow and procuring from its frosty grasp something familiar, then offering it to Raiel with a demeaning tone of voice, "Your shining whacking stick, little boy."</p><p>Hesitating for only a moment, Raiel accepted the return of his weapon, nodding his thanks as he planted the staff into the ground and used it as a means of righting his stance. Still, he needed to catch his breath, which contrasted greatly with how the larger woman required no such thing, appearing quite ready to flay dozens more foes right then and there if needed.</p><p>As the cleric stared downwards and once more shut his eyes - attempting to mentally process all that had occurred in just five minutes' time - his savior heedlessly shattered his concentration with a teasing interjection, "Do you need me to show you how to stand as well, hm? You look like a newborn lamb."</p><p>"I'm... I-I'm fine..." he lied through his teeth, looking up at her with a softening expression. "I... I just-"</p><p>"You owe me."</p><p>"I... w-what?"</p><p>"I saved your skin, little boy. You would be a frosted corpse were it not for my blade. So, you owe me."</p><p>Raiel was caught completely off-guard by the demand, knowing well that he carried little in the way of value on his person. "I... I-I don't have... I'm sorry, I can't-"</p><p>She raised a hand, dismissing whatever he had to say and instead speaking herself, "I do not want your gold. I do not battle for gold. I battle for honor. For glory. For my goddess."</p><p>"S-So... So what is it you want from me, exactly?..." he questioned, his strength and his tone equally as weak.</p><p>With the arm she did not currently wield her blade with, the woman extended an open hand towards Raiel, and he subsequently bore witness to what was perhaps the only injury she had managed to sustain in battle: a small cut across her palm. Rightfully presuming what it was she sought, the cleric raised his own hand to meet with hers, and a soft trail of glowing warmth crept from his pale skin and towards her golden flesh. In a matter of moments, the cut was no more.</p><p>"Impressive..." she stated, raising her renewed grasp so that she herself could look upon it. "Even as spent as you are, you mend just as well as any Valarjar mystic."</p><p>Raiel exhaled, "Well, yes... I-I suppose I do-"</p><p>"Then it is settled."</p><p>"W-Wait... Huh?"</p><p>The woman grinned down at him, explaining her ultimatum, "You will tend to my wounds in the many battles to come. I could use someone with your prowess, in the event that my foes should utilize any underhanded tactics to get the best of me."</p><p>"I... Ma'am, you... y-you don't understand..."  the cleric stuttered, now more baffled than relieved. "I came here to help mend the wounded. I'm supposed to be headed north, f-for the Argent Tournament Grounds. They need me there!"</p><p>"Oh? Is that so? Well then, shall I allow you to continue your trek there, that you might perish against another ambush without my aid?"</p><p>"N-No... I mean... I... I need to get there... I-I need... I..." Raiel started to murmur, eyelids beginning to droop as his consciousness began to dwindle in turn.</p><p>It was made clear that he had been pushed well past his limits by all which had befallen him, and this culminated in the priest falling facefirst into the snow, the staff slipping from his hand as his body went limp upon the ground.</p><p>The woman simply scoffed at the display, shaking her head, "Ugh... You are like a little baby. Come on."</p><p>With that, she sheathed her blade and approached the unconscious priest, effortlessly collecting his body under one arm. Picking up Raiel's weapon as well, she unfurled in an extravagant display the wings at her back before pushing off the ground and ascending into the skies above.</p><p>And so she began to fly north of her current position, leaving behind naught but a frozen field of broken bodies.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>A dark numbness consumed body, mind and soul alike for moments Raiel could not fully measure in size. He drifted, shapeless and formless, against a great nothingness, completely unaware of this realm's nature, or any other's for that matter. It was only after this absence of form was breached - in spontaneous fashion, and by a blinding radiance - that he was once more a child of the waking world.</em>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Against soft and silken sheets, the cleric stirred, eyelids parting from one another as his consciousness was gradually reclaimed.</p><p>His first thought came to him: he was no longer struggling against the freezing cold.</p><p>His second: he was nestled comfortably within a bed of cozy linens.</p><p>His third: he was somewhere completely unfamiliar, with no recollection of how he had arrived there.</p><p>He began to stir again, attempting to rise from the safety and warmth which had only recently taken hold of his frigid frame, only to cease after catching sight of a strangely familiar glow, the likes of which slowly began to take on a more distinguished physical form; one which reached towards him and - in a not-so gentle fashion - pushed him back against the bed.</p><p>"Do not rise," she commanded. "You are still weak from the cold."</p><p>It was the angel- nay, <em>woman</em> from earlier, he recognized. Raiel exhaled harshly, shaking his head.</p><p>"I-I'm fine. I... Where am I?" he stammered, suddenly recalling that he had no such idea himself.</p><p>As her lips finally came into view, he watched them part as she answered, "I believe these are the grounds you spoke of. You are in one of their tents, and you are going to rest and recuperate from your weakness."</p><p>Despite her innocuous tone, that word in particular - "weakness" - struck a nerve with him. "I... I am not weak!" he barked, only for her to reach forth again and press a gargantuan index finger against trembling lips.</p><p>"No, you are not. But right now, your body is; and so you shall rest here until it is weak no longer."</p><p>Raiel did not refuse her this time, instead accepting his defeat with a shift onto his side, facing away from the golden woman. Before he could close his eyes and make an attempt at the resting she so desired of him, she addressed him once more, "Your name."</p><p>"Mmf... wha?"</p><p>"I said <em>your name</em>, human. Tell me what to call you, or I shall call you whatever I wish."</p><p>Again, he exhaled sharply, turning onto his back and facing the cloth ceiling of the tent, eyes shut.</p><p>"Raiel... I'm Raiel," he told her, expression softening as he, one by one, attempted to relax each of the aching muscles in his body.</p><p>With a firm nod of her head, the woman replied, "Well met. And I am Hrysta, Champion of Eyir. I am val'kyr, and I serve my goddess to my dying breath."</p><p>"... Val'kyr?" the cleric repeated. "I've heard of those before. I... thought they served the undead."</p><p>She snorted, "Some do, as I have discovered. First, the Lich King, and then that banshee witch; but know that these are wretched heralds of false causes. A true val'kyr is cast in gold, marred only by the gore of those she has felled in combat."</p><p>Raiel's eyes remained shut, and he momentarily pondered Hrysta's nature before prompting her further, "Do you wield the Holy Light, then?"</p><p>The val'kyr tilted her head, then shook it summarily. "I would not say so. My wings gleam, and my sword shines with radiance, but I do not call upon sparkling magics, as you do. My weapon is my strength; be that my sword, or my fists," she explained, chuckling at that last bit. "Whichever gets the job done more efficiently."</p><p>After adjusting himself slightly, Raiel allowed a piercing silence to linger between the two of them for some time.</p><p>"So..." he finally spoke. "You've delivered me to sanctuary - my intended destination, even - and yet you still remain... Why? Don't you have battles to fight? Battles more important than looking after some priest you just met?"</p><p>"Surely, you have not forgotten our deal," Hrysta reminded him. "I did not spare you from the clutches of death for nothing. Once you are well, you shall accompany me wherever I tread and tend to whatever injuries I sustain, little healer."</p><p>Acutely, he recalled the val'kyr's ultimatum, and groaned thereafter, "I didn't think you were being serious."</p><p>"Yes. And surely, you did not think you would be ambushed by a throng of unliving fiends, either. You do not make very good judgement calls, it would seem."</p><p>More bitter silence arose between the human and the val'kyr, broken only by the distant clashing of combat just beyond the tent, as well as the resonant sounds of Hrysta's footsteps as she paced about the structure's interior.</p><p>After nearing closer to Raiel for a moment, she spoke, "... You seem fairly young for a combatant. How old are you, priest?"</p><p>"... Seventeen years," he answered. "And don't worry about looking down on me because of my age. Everyone else already does it, so you might as well join them."</p><p>The val'kyr's eyes widened slightly beneath her helmet. "Seventeen? You really <em>are</em> an infant, then! Where are your parents, boy? Do they know you are here?"</p><p>Raiel grimaced at her inquiry, instead rolling to his other side and going silent in response. She was about to repeat herself, but he soon provided the answer she sought, "... I'm an orphan. I was raised by a clergy."</p><p>"Ah..." Hrysta replied, taking on an apologetic tone of voice at the other's distraught demeanor. "I... My condolences. I did not know."</p><p>"No one ever does," he spat, burying half of his pale features against the satin of a pillow. "You'd be surprised at how few friends you make as a motherless altar boy."</p><p>Placing both hands on her hips, the val'kyr scoffed. "Surely, that is no way to speak of yourself. You are a priest of Light. You have come here to aid those in need, and you-"</p><p>"-nearly got myself killed out in the cold? Got roped into this dumb pact of yours because of my own reckless stupidity?!" he barked back at her, now sitting upright and with newfound ire boiling across a heated visage.</p><p>For once, Hrysta was left without comment. Never before had she seen such self-deprecation, let alone the sort she herself had inadvertently kindled with her actions. She frowned, baring her teeth in shock at such unkindly thoughts.</p><p>Raiel gave a few more exasperated breaths before collapsing back against his bedsheets, a defeated exhale preceding his words, "I don't belong out here. I belong in the ground."</p><p>Straightening her lips, the val'kyr approached Raiel with newfound vigor, intent on pushing back against such a negative outlook. A golden hand came to rest on his shoulder, and he could feel for himself the warmth Hrysta exuded as she bestowed unto him her sentiment, "I would be concerned if you were not making mistakes at your age. You are young. You are meant to learn and grow as a person. You... You may not have friends or family to guide you, but... so long as you maintain faith in yourself, others will do the same."</p><p>He remained unconvinced, staring up at her with the expression of one who had since become disillusioned with their own ilk. "I wish you were right, but not a single member of my clergy had faith in my coming here. They all thought I would die; and by all means, they were right," the priest admitted, shaking his head.</p><p>"... Is that why you have come here, then? To prove to a bunch of uptight priests that you are worth your salt?" Hrysta asked, snarling as she did so. "Bah! Stórlátr saurr!"</p><p>Raiel found himself momentarily perplexed by the val'kyr speaking in her native tongue, but before he had the chance to respond, she went on, "If your convent had even the slightest bit of faith in you, you would not have to be out here proving anything to anybody! You need not concern yourself with those lækari!"</p><p>Her words returned some mirth unto the cleric's heart, and he added, "... Well, for what it's worth, I don't plan on going back. I don't want to remain somewhere that my own kin think so little of me."</p><p>"And remain you should not! Why, if they will not make use of your skills, I surely will!" Hrysta proclaimed, gesturing wildly in the process. "With you by my side, I shall face the most terrifying beasts in combat, and I shall emerge victorious with your aid! And afterwards, I should march right up to those haughty friars and stick my foot right up their-"</p><p>The expletive she was about to utter was interrupted by a sound she had not heard before: that of Raiel's laughter. Beneath his hood, the priest wore a faint blush, snickering at the val'kyr's unbridled enthusiasm. "T-That's... That's quite enough," he sputtered, catching his breath. "I didn't realize you had such a... colorful vocabulary..."</p><p>Sheepishly, the val'kyr pressed one hand behind her head, now gently blushing herself as she apologized, "A-ah, yes... Sorry about that. I tend to get very... passionate... about certain subjects, that is all."</p><p>"I had a feeling," Raiel replied, smiling for the first time since their meeting. "In any case, if I'm going to be aiding you in said battles, I should probably get some sleep, like you said. I'll let you know how I'm feeling afterwards, and if I can stand on both feet, we can be on our way. Sound good?"</p><p>Hrysta nodded, grinning as well. "It does. Rest well, for we shall have quite the fight on our hands once you are ready to face it."</p><p>With that, the cleric rolled onto his stomach, arms folded beneath the bottom of his pillow and features pressed against the top of it. Raiel did not fall asleep immediately, but in time, he was quite certain he would.</p><p>Before he departed once more from the waking world, however, he felt the val'kyr's tender grip pressed once more against his shoulder, her words just barely audible to his fading consciousness:</p><p>"You are worth more than you think, little one. I shall prove this to you."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In time, sleep had whittled away what fatigue and frailty the harsh breath of Icecrown had inflicted upon Raiel. After several more hours of resting, the cleric had awoken yet again, this time to the sound of distant chatter and discussion from outside the tent. Gingerly, he pried several blankets from his frame, then shifted to the edge of his bed and, to his content, managed to stand on his own two feet once more.</p><p>Before taking his leave, Raiel scanned the interior for a particular object of interest, and - after finding it propped up against a nearby wall - quickly took hold of its hilt. His staff yet again in hand, he approached the entrance of the tent, intent on seeking out his companion.</p><p>His search did not last long, as only moments after emerging into the brisk, wintry winds did he come across the sight of Hrysta speaking with one of the plated crusaders.</p><p>"Trust me, ma'am. We're well aware of what we're dealing with here. We've been dealing with the undead for quite some time."</p><p>"Truly? Can you speak for the eons my kind have spent- Hm?"</p><p>Alhough Raiel stepped silently towards them, this much was enough to draw their combined attention. Hrysta merely dipped her head in acknowledgement of the priest's recovery, while the crusader took steps forth to close the distance between herself and the cleric.</p><p>"There you are. What in the Light's name were you thinking, trying to traverse Icecrown by yourself? You could have gotten killed!" she chastised, scowling at the younger human.</p><p>Raiel frowned before administering his reply, "I know, and it would seem some of your men weren't as lucky as I was. I spotted the emblem of your Crusade on some of the corpses that ambushed me."</p><p>"What? No..." the crusader hissed, disbelief momentarily tainting features already sullied by the cold. "... Damnit! I knew that squadron wasn't going to last out there. Those poor souls..."</p><p>"For what it is worth," Hrysta began. "We are here to help stave off the tide of undead. Both of us." She then glanced towards Raiel, who returned her expression in full.</p><p>The woman gave a grateful nod of her head. "Well, that's good, because we need all the help we can get. Our scouts report that the Scourge is preparing to launch a large-scale assault on the Tournament Grounds. We need to be ready for their attack, or this entire settlement will fall in a matter of minutes," she explained.</p><p>"Leave it to us," Raiel affirmed. "I... I may not have combat experience myself, but Hrysta does - and I'll do everything in my power to keep her alive."</p><p>"Let's hope you can. I don't think we stand a chance without her aid."</p><p>He grimaced slightly, though his attention soon fell upon the val'kyr as she spoke, "Let them come. I am eager to break more cadavers upon my blade. Their masters will soon regret the day they-"</p><p>"They're coming!" a male voice suddenly called from afar. "The Scourge are nearly here! Places, everyone!"</p><p>"Already? Alright... Look alive, you two!" the woman commanded before rushing over to her post.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Skies which were once occupied solely by a deathly mist now swarmed with wretched gargoyles. The howling of Icecrown's winds was matched only by their shrieks as they descended from above and dragged crusaders screaming into the fog from whence they had arrived. As terrified as Raiel was, he placed what faith he had to offer in Hrysta; faith that she would not let allow death to take him, as she had before.</p><p>The val'kyr appeared to be relishing in the barrage of undead which threw themselves against every living thing in sight. With each chilled breath, she swung her massive blade through an unliving cadaver, the likes of which split apart as its searing remains crumpled upon the icy floor.</p><p>"Is that all you have got? I have faced musken with more ferocity than you slavering buffoons!" she bellowed, cackling as she planted one foot directly through the cranium of a skeletal magus.</p><p><em>Her lust for battle is prodigious,</em> Raiel thought to himself, a palm raised as from his digits sparked forth a torrent of rejuvenating brilliance.</p><p>With his full attention on Hrysta, the cleric was unable to see the gargoyle soaring towards his spine. He did, however, hear its blood-curdling cry, and swiftly responded with a lash of holy fire that sprang from his free hand as he whirled around to face it. The winged creature smoldered in a divine blaze before him, crashing into the earth with a sickening crunch. For only a moment did he stare at the fiend's broken body before returning to his mending efforts.</p><p>Gazing at Raiel's handiwork, the val'kyr chuckled to herself, calling out, "Are you trying to show off, little one? Two can play at your game!"</p><p>With that, she grabbed a nearby ghoul and then, with its head compressed against her iron grasp, unfurled her wings before ascending into the skies with the creature in hand. "Going up!"</p><p>Raiel could only watch as she soared upward, and it was only after Hrysta was out of sight - her form completely obscured by mist - that he beheld the aforementioned aberration plummeting from the heavens. Its disheveled body practically exploded upon the ground from the sheer force of the impact, and the cleric had to shield his visage with one arm to avoid receiving a faceful of necrotic gore. The val'kyr returned from the skies soon after, and wearing a cocky grin to boot.</p><p>Her companion appeared less than amused, however. "This isn't a competition! It's a matter of life and death!" he chastised, attempting to remind her of the situation's dire nature.</p><p>"Oh, come on! There is joy to be had in doing what you love!"</p><p>"Then at least save the festivities for once we succeed; <em>if</em> we succeed!"</p><p>"Pah. You are no fun," Hrysta whined, slamming her elbow through an undead soldier's ribcage without even breaking eye contact with her ally.</p><p>As a group of skeletons rushed towards Raiel from his flank, he planted the blunt end of his staff firmly into the frigid soil, erecting a lurid barrier of sacrosanct flames between himself and his assailants. Mindlessly, each one ran straight into the bulwark and emerged as a pile of ash on the other side, much to the cleric's relief.</p><p>Although the Scourge's numbers seemed endless, the two knew that eventually, the undead would either run out of forces or be forced to retreat; and they were both equally willing to stand their ground up until that point.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>A sudden explosion of dark energy from afar caught the attention of both cleric and val'kyr, and in its direction, they gazed and glowered respectively as a cloaked figure emerged from the aftermath. Bearing a scepter seething with vile magics and a horned helm made of bone - beneath which two sunken yet glowing eyes could be seen - he allowed his appearance alone to relay that he was no friend to the living.</p><p>"I really don't appreciate you lot tearing all my hard work asunder like this," he began, tone as foreboding as it was brimming with self-assurance. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to find corpses that can put up a fight, let alone walk on two feet? Honestly..."</p><p>Her scowl becoming a toothy yet sinister grin, Hrysta slowly began to approach the necromancer, swinging her blade in a circular motion as she addressed him, "I am glad a coward like yourself has finally shown his face. I was tiring of killing the dead anyways."</p><p>"Oh, I assure you, I'm much worse than they are," he explained, extending a palm swirling with umbral energies.</p><p>In an instant, the val'kyr found herself ensnared as dark chains rose from the very ground beneath her feet and pulled her to her knees. She grunted and snarled, struggling to break free of their hold over her large frame, but to no avail.</p><p>"Miserable cur!" Hrysta wailed. "These will not hold me! And once I am free of your putrid magic, I shall chain <em>you</em> up with the entrails of your minions! I will make you regret every moment you spent practicing such disgusting sorcery. You will rue the day you-"</p><p>As she continued to assail him with foul language, the necromancer simply rolled his eyes and tilted his hand, causing an additional chain to spring forth around her bindings. This one, however, wrapped itself tightly around the lower half of her features, harshly muffling whatever insults she had to bestow unto her opponent.</p><p>"That is <em>much</em> better," he exhaled, mock-relief spreading across his sallow face.</p><p>Rushing to his companion's side, Raiel stood defensively between the val'kyr and the man draped in rotting garbs, a look of determination glowing beneath his hood.</p><p>"You'll pay for every life you've taken today, you monster!" the cleric spat, readying a handful of his own holy spellpower to unleash upon his foe.</p><p>"Me? A monster?" the necromancer replied, sounding almost insulted by the declaration. "I serve the lord of death himself. The one who waits beyond the shattered veil. I am no monster, boy; merely a humble servant of powers beyond your feeble ken."</p><p>Raiel remained unshaken, disputing, "Call yourself whatever you like. It won't save you from the Light's wrath."</p><p>"Don't worry about me, child. I'm not the one who needs saving."</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>With that final remark, the two engaged in their duel of blistering radiance and seething shadows, both powers wreaking havoc across the Tournament Grounds as the priest and necromancer faced off against one another; all the while, Hrysta continued to writhe and thrash against tenebrous shackles.</p><p>For some time, neither was able to land a successful blow against the other, as each bolt of holy light would be countered by one of darkness, and every necrotic incantation would be interrupted by a ray of scalding brilliance.</p><p>They were evenly matched, Raiel realized. But only because he was facing his opponent alone.</p><p>In an instant, he darted behind the struggling val'kyr, then attempted to burn through her bindings with divine flames. After several moments, he found the chains completely unaffected by his powers and, in an act of desperation, began furiously tugging on them with his bare hands.</p><p>This was a mistake like no other, as the moment he did, the dark energies from Hrysta's shackles began to swirl their way up the cleric's arms. He recoiled with an agonized cry, toppling onto his back as he frantically tried to rip the shadowy miasma away from his being. This only urged the val'kyr to struggle even harder, though her efforts were yet for naught.</p><p>After a few moments, the dark tendrils faded of their own accord, and Raiel found the hissing of their tainted potency replaced by fiendish laughter as the necromancer loomed over his fallen form.</p><p>"... Did you really think you stood a chance, fledgling? The others told me of your little skirmish out in the snow. You're nothing without someone else doing all the work for you," the man taunted, his staff raised with a pulsating orb of pure decay swirling above it, ready to be unleashed upon the cleric at any second.</p><p>Dazed, Raiel stared up at what he believed might finally be his demise, only for his gaze to drift towards the hilt of the necromancer's weapon: a <em>wooden hilt</em>.</p><p>"Y-You're right..." he stammered, "I do have to rely on others to get things done."</p><p>He raised a hand weakly, fingers glowing with the faintest embers of a sacred flame.</p><p>"Others... like <em>you</em>."</p><p>With that, he unleashed what was but a divine spark towards the very bottom of the necromancer's staff. That spark, however, quickly flourished into a roaring holy fire that travelled along the length of the man's weapon, consecrating his grip on it before he could even realize what was happening.</p><p>Instantly, the staff was loosed from his gnarled grasp - the grievous spell he was about to cast dissipating altogether - and he cried out in pain, clutching his seared hand.</p><p>The opportunity having arisen, Raiel immediately leapt for the light-charred staff, taking it in both hands and slamming the hilt against one knee. With a crackle of withering might, the weapon was sundered in two, its magic escaping from the shattered edges like smoke from a lit hearth.</p><p>The necromancer snarled with anger, though his frustration soon turned to fear as he backed away from the rising val'kyr, her chains having disintegrated along with the staff's dark capabilities. In an instant, she drew her blade, fully prepared to run it through the man's heart.</p><p>"This isn't over, boy. It never is, for the damned..." the man hissed, shadow swirling about his pallid digits as his form became hazy and indistinct.</p><p>Just as Hrysta lunged forth to strike, he vanished in a cloud of necrotic energy, not a trace of him remaining save for his broken tool.</p><p>Cursing beneath her breath, she turned to face a weary Raiel, the cleric rising from the ground and attempting to brush himself off. He limped to one side, she noticed, as it seemed the impact of breaking the necromancer's staff had taken a bit of a toll on him physically.</p><p>Once his gaze had met with the val'kyr's, he rushed over to her, worry and exasperation mingling together as he spoke, "H-Hrysta, I'm so sorry... Are you okay? I-I didn't-"</p><p>Any further sentiment on his behalf was immediately cut off as the larger val'kyr embraced him, brawny arms wrapping tightly around his svelte frame; and it was only with a decent amount of care and consideration that she did not outright crush his body with her own. A single shuddering exhale preceded Raiel returning the gesture to the best of his ability.</p><p>She did not speak. She did not have to. The full brunt of the warmth she begat told him more than words ever could.</p><p>They had won this battle. They were safe now. And this was all that she wished for him to know.</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Are you quite certain you are alright?"</p><p>"Just a bit shaken, that's all," Raiel reassured. "I've never felt that... that sort of magic before. I'd like it if I never had to again."</p><p>Hrysta nodded. "Well... So long as you believe so. We should prepare to mount a counter-attack against those fiends."</p><p>Just then, a familiar voice chimed in, "Not yet. Plenty of our troops are wounded from the battle, and morale is in an even worse state at the moment."</p><p>Raiel glanced in its direction, discovering its owner to be the crusader woman from earlier; the only difference being that her previously-pristine armor was now matted with a layer of blood and bile.</p><p>She went on, "We're going to take it easy for the rest of the night. Then, at dawn, we begin our assault on the Scourge's heart: Icecrown Citadel."</p><p>The val'kyr seemed more than aggravated by this course of action. "You cannot be serious! That will simply give them another chance to attack us! We need to strike now, and strike hard!" she argued.</p><p>"I'm sorry, but the rest of the Crusade is in no state to do so for the time being. The only way we stand a chance is if we take the time needed to feast, rest, and recover for tomorrow."</p><p>"To stray from the glory of battle is a coward's- Wait... Did you say... feast?"</p><p>"Well, yes. We still have plenty of provisions and foodstuffs left to spare. Might as well put them to good use, if it's going to be our last meal."</p><p>Hrysta appeared momentarily contemplative, then decided, "Very well. We shall feast, and tomorrow, we shall fight!"</p><p>Raiel blinked. "But you just said-"</p><p>"I refuse to fight on an empty stomach, little one. It goes against my code of honor," she seemingly elaborated.</p><p>"... Whatever."</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Later that evening, they - as well as a number of other crusaders - had retired to the same tent Raiel had been resting in earlier. Some members of the Crusade were simply speaking with one another, while others were helping themselves to food and drink. Hrysta, of course, found herself among the latter party, though her companion simply sat by his lonesome on a nearby bench, eyes shut as he pondered deeply his current predicament.</p><p>"Mind if I sit here?" a voice pierced his concentration.</p><p>Opening his eyes, he found his gaze falling once more upon the woman from earlier; only this time, her armor had been washed of the gore previously staining it. Additionally, she was without her helmet, and so Raiel could finally make out her facial features. Her skin was slightly tanned, her chin-length hair a dark, pale shade of magenta, her eyes a deep blue, and her cheeks smattered with just a few freckles.</p><p>His lips remained slightly agape for a moment or two prior to his reply, "It's your tent."</p><p>Smirking, the woman seated herself beside him. "My name is Hannah, by the way," she spoke. "Hannah Farthing."</p><p>"I-"</p><p>"-was already told who you are, Raiel," Hannah interrupted, though in a gentle manner. "... Just Raiel, then? Our kind typically comes with a first <em>and</em> last name, you know."</p><p>Raiel stared down at the hands folded in his lap - their fingers twiddling of their own accord - and replied, "... I'm an orphan. I never had parents. The clergy gave me my name."</p><p>"Mm... I see." Her expression twisted with both dolor and sympathy before she added, "For what it's worth, my parents fell to the Scourge. It's kind of why I'm out here in the first place. You?"</p><p>"It's... a long story," he explained. "Not quite sure it's worth telling, honestly."</p><p>"Oh, come on. I really want to know what on Azeroth had you out there freezing to death on your way here. I'm curious."</p><p>"Well... alright," Raiel sighed. "... My whole life, I've lived under the clergy's wings. They sheltered and protected me, but in doing so, they also kept me away from the outside world. I've only ever heard stories of things like the Burning Legion and the Old Gods. I never got to experience any of that for myself."</p><p>Hannah listened, her head tilted only slightly as the cleric went on, "There came a day when I explained this to them; explained to them that I wanted to see what the rest of Azeroth was really like."</p><p>"And what happened, exactly?"</p><p>"They, um..." He hesitated, then sighed, and finally continued, "They told me it was too dangerous; that it wasn't the sort of place for a priest like me. They told me that if I really wanted to venture beyond the cathedral's walls, that I would have to learn the ways of a paladin. They wanted me to take up a sword and shield so that I could protect myself from all the dangers outside of Stormwind."</p><p>"And you didn't want that for yourself. Why is that?"</p><p>"... You're going to say it's stupid."</p><p>"I think not explaining it would be more stupid than whatever reason you could possibly have."</p><p>He took a deep breath before answering, "Because I'm not a paladin. I'm a priest. I've always been a priest. What's the point of spending your whole life learning to be one thing if you're just going to be told you have to be something else?"</p><p>A slight smile preceded Hannah's words, "I don't think that's very stupid at all."</p><p>"You don't?..."</p><p>"Nope. We have plenty of priests in the Crusade's ranks. They're just as important as our paladins, if not moreso."</p><p>"Well... I'm glad you think so."</p><p>"Although, I have to ask: did you come here looking to join the Crusade, then?"</p><p>Raiel shook his head and explained, "Not specifically. I just... needed to get away from them; away from the cathedral. I heard that you and your allies were holding their ground against the undead, so I came here to lend what help I could offer."</p><p>"Well, if you change your mind, just let me know. We'd be more than happy to have you. Especially after, well..."</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"Ah... It's nothing."</p><p>"Clearly, it isn't."</p><p>Hannah gave an exasperated exhale. "A few days before your arrival, we were supposed to receive supplies from the Argent Vanguard, but they never made it here. Because of the harsh weather, we couldn't just send out gryphon riders to retrieve them, so we had to deploy a squadron to travel there on foot."</p><p>"You mean..."</p><p>"Yes. Likely the same undead soldiers you ran into on your way here, I'm afraid..."</p><p>The cleric's expression soured with grief as Hannah added, "Among that squadron was one of our finest priests: Father Fredrick Nyren. He volunteered to go with them and see them safely to their destination. Of course, well... they never made it there."</p><p>"I'm... My condolences. I-"</p><p>"There's more."</p><p>"Huh?"</p><p>Hannah gestured over to the tent's entrance before speaking, "I took a look at that staff the necromancer was wielding; the one I was told you broke over your knee."</p><p>Suddenly, she interrupted herself, "Oh! How's your leg holding up, by the way? All good?"</p><p>Raiel nodded. "I was walking a bit funny earlier, but I should be fine, thank you."</p><p>"Alright. Anyways," the woman continued. "That staff... Even split in two, I could tell. It's a mirror image of the one I saw on Fredrick before he left with the others."</p><p>Blinking harshly at the insinuation, the cleric stuttered, "What? I-I mean... You don't think..."</p><p>"Think what? That he betrayed us to the Scourge in exchange for power? I... wouldn't be too surprised, honestly. It wouldn't be the first time something like this has happened."</p><p>"Maybe it was just a similar model. Or maybe they found it on his corpse and gave it to that necromancer. Or-"</p><p>"-maybe that necromancer <em>was</em> Fredrick," she asserted, resigning herself to the belief. "Trust me... I don't want to believe it either, but it adds up. That assault on the Tournament Grounds... It was far more calculated and precise than it had any right to be; as if someone among the undead had personal knowledge of the layout."</p><p>Raiel's heart began to sink at the revelation. If a renowned priest of the Argent Crusade could so easily be swayed by forces of darkness and destruction, so could he. And that, to him, was a fate far worse than being stuck inside a cathedral for eternity, or even undeath itself.</p><p>To have one's legacy sullied by corruption of the soul... It was the ultimate anathema.</p><p>Fortunately, Hannah seemed to pick up on the cleric's despair, and so she offered a comforting hand upon his shoulder, just as Hrysta had earlier. "Hey... It happens. At best, Fredrick was a man who deceived us all with a divine front. At worst, he succumbed to some sort of promise of power, I'm sure. But you? I can tell that you're both genuine <em>and</em> noble. And like I said, if you ever change your mind, the Crusade will welcome you with open arms."</p><p>"I, um..." he started, his surprise accompanied by a mild blush. "... Thank you, I'll... I'll definitely keep that in mind."</p><p>Intent on drifting the conversation away from darker topics, Hannah gestured ahead of the two, snickering, "Looks like your friend over there is really getting busy."</p><p>"Hm? Oh, Light..." Raiel groaned, pressing a few digits to his forehead.</p><p>Hrysta was currently holding an entire upturned cask of ale over head, drinking straight from it as a small crowd of crusaders cheered her on. Eventually, she had completely downed its contents, tossing the empty keg aside to the delight of the crowd, then bellowing, "NEXT!"</p><p>"Well, so much for having a clear mind for tomorrow. If she isn't still hammered, she's going to have the mother of all hangovers," Hannah proclaimed.</p><p>"And you're not going to stop her?"</p><p>"You really think I'm dumb enough to get between that woman and her ale? I happen to value my life, thank you very much."</p><p>The two managed to exchange some light laughter despite the aforementioned circumstances.</p><p>"I..." Raiel started. "I know this is going to sound stupid-"</p><p>Hannah interjected, "We've talked about this."</p><p>"Right, sorry, but... I..." The cleric spent a moment mustering the willpower to speak further. "... I don't know about you, but... with all my time spent under the cathedral's roof, I've never really had any, um..."</p><p>He muttered something indistinct, to which the crusader raised a brow. "What was that?"</p><p>"I-I said... I've never really... had any friends before, so... I... uh..."</p><p>Hannah blinked, then smirked as he continued, "Would you, um..."</p><p>She took hold of his hand in her own, then answered, "Yes, Raiel. I'll be your friend."</p><p>A snicker, nervous yet grateful in nature, escaped him at her words. "Thank you..." he replied.</p><p>"Of course. Now then, with that out of the way, we should probably-" Hannah began, though she stopped in her tracks as the thudding of heavy footsteps grew closer.</p><p>She and Raiel gazed upwards to simultaneously look upon the taller form of Hrysta, with two distinguishing changes to the val'kyr's appearance present: she had a bit of froth dripping from her bottom lip, and her toned stomach was now noticeably engorged, its swell cradled by one hand.</p><p>"Shouldn't you be draining a keg of rum right about now?" Hannah teased, to which she received a flatly-spoken answer from Hrysta:</p><p>"I drank it all."</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Settled into cots that were but an arm's length apart from one another, Raiel and Hrysta laid beside eachother, waiting to be taken by the grasp of slumber. In particular, the cot Hrysta laid on was much too small for her larger frame, and so her legs rested off of either side of it, with her feet pressed against the floor of the tent.</p><p>"You still wasted over there?" Raiel asked, momentarily breaking the silence between them.</p><p>"Me? Hm... No, I am... not. I am... sober. I am sober."</p><p>"..."</p><p>"... hic."</p><p>Silently nodding to himself, Raiel smiled; and yet, thoughts of his prior conversation with Hannah - those pertaining to the identity of the necromancer he had faced in combat - began to diminish that smile until only a frown remained.</p><p>Although he had spoken nothing of it to Hrysta, and although she was currently plastered, she picked up on his sorrow upon glancing towards him, leaning over and beginning to poke at the cleric.</p><p>"You," she spoke. "You are... sad. Stop... being sad."</p><p>Surprised, Raiel nearly fell from his cot. "H-hey!" After once more steadying his frame atop the bed, he sighed. "It's nothing, really. Don't worry about it."</p><p>"No. Tell me. You tell me, so I can- hic!... So I can... destroy your sadness."</p><p>He took a deep breath before explaining, "One of the crusaders told me she thinks the necromancer who led the attack on the Tournament Grounds was one of their own priests - someone who betrayed them to the Scourge - and I just... I don't want that to happen to me. I don't want to die as someone wicked; someone who forsook every virtue they once had to offer."</p><p>Drunkenly, Hrysta laughed at his words. "You? You are nothing like that man. That man is a disgusting, putrid wretch, and I will- HIC!... I will kill him, when the day comes..."</p><p>Raiel was about to contest the val'kyr's assessment, but before he could, she went on, "You are everything he is not. You are kind. You are- hic!... You are smart. You are humble. You are- hic!"</p><p>Blushing furiously, the cleric finally interjected, "A-alright, that's enough! I get it! Thank you, Hrysta..."</p><p>"Good. And... And you had better remember it, too... Or else I will- HIC!... I will remind you again and again, until you are unable to forget it."</p><p>"I'll hold you to it, then," he replied, his warm smile renewed by her solicitous, if inebriated sentiment.</p><p>Yawning, Raiel welcomed the embrace of subconsciousness as his eyes gradually began to close. With a warmth in his heart akin to the warmth in Hrysta's belly, he felt as though he could tackle all the challenges that Icecrown could throw at him come sunrise.</p><p>"Goodnight, Hrysta..." he whispered, though his only response from the val'kyr came in the form of a deep and sonorous belch.</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The following morning, Raiel awoke to the disgruntled lamentations of his companion. Rising from his cot, he glanced over to find the val'kyr reeling upon her own, her head clutched between both hands.</p><p>"I figured this might happen. I take it you didn't?" he asked, frowning.</p><p>Hrysta shook her head, teeth clenched as she hissed, "Ngh!... N-Not... so loud, please..."</p><p>Knowing she would not be fit for battle in her current state, the cleric drew closer for a moment. "Let me try something..."</p><p>With that, he gingerly placed a few fingers to the val'kyr's helm - where the upper half of her visage lay concealed - and gently began to funnel a stream of cleansing light from his digits and into her head. Hrysta remained motionless until the process had concluded, at which point she no longer felt the wracking pain assaulting her mind.</p><p>Her agonized grimace becoming a relieved grin, she immediately leapt forth from the bed and let loose a boisterous chuckle, her voice as booming and overconfident as ever, "Ha! As if I would ever crumple before such a trivial ailment! Not likely!"</p><p>At her declaration, Raiel simply rolled his eyes. "You're welcome."</p><p>Hrysta turned to face him, features softening as she lowered a burly hand to his head and ruffled the top of his hood. "Thank you, little one," she whispered, demurely grateful.</p><p>"Don't thank me yet," he remarked, gesturing outside. "We've still got a battle to fight, you and I."</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>The duo eventually came across Hannah discussing her battle plans with several other crusaders, and as they approached, she greeted them with a salute.</p><p>"Morning. You two ready to give the Scourge what for?" she inquired, her silver helmet cradled beneath one arm.</p><p>Hrysta wore a sadistic smile. "I need no excess preparation. I live for battle and die for victory."</p><p>"Yes, well... Let's hope it doesn't come to that last part," Raiel added, an expression of discontent accompanying his words.</p><p>"In any case, here's the plan," Hannah explained. "We're going to divide our assault into two groups. Now that the blizzard's finally cleared up, we'll have one division attack the citadel by the ground, and the other will attack by air. The former will take control of the lower wing of the fortress, while the latter will clear out the upper wing."</p><p>"You sure that's a good idea?" the cleric asked, his tone worrisome. "What if that snowstorm comes back mid-assault?"</p><p>Hannah's expression relayed neither mirth nor despair; only confidence in her own tactics. "We don't have much of a choice. We can't risk sending everyone to the same place, only to fall into one of the Scourge's traps. This way, even if one assault fails, the other will remain to succeed."</p><p>"That's... a rather bleak way of looking at it, but alright."</p><p>"I'm going to help lead the ground assault, while you and Hrysta," she went on, gesturing towards both cleric and val'kyr, "will aid our gryphon riders in taking the skies. Have you ever ridden a gryphon before, Raiel?"</p><p>He was about to answer, but Hrysta did so in his place, "That will not be necessary. I can carry him just fine. He weighs little more than a feather, after all."</p><p>Surprised, Hannah raised a single eyebrow, but nonetheless did not argue against the val'kyr's offer, nor did Raiel.</p><p>"Well then," the crusader began. "So long as there aren't any questions or objections..."</p><p>Marching over to a nearby warhorse, she slid her helmet into place and carefully settled herself atop the steed's saddle.</p><p>"Let's ride."</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>When he had first entered Icecrown, Raiel never believed he would know anything quite as gelid as the floor of its frozen wastes. Now, he knew for certain that there existed a place even more frigid than this: its skies. Although Hrysta's luminous warmth kept him from fully succumbing to the cold of glacial winds, he could still feel it; a bitter chill that ached to freeze him to his core. He did his best to expel thoughts of the earth below being his icy tomb from his mind.</p><p>Beneath the two and their aerial escorts, the armies of the Argent Crusade pressed forward through the abyssal armies of the Scourge, their steeds trampling over congregations of bones and sinew both animate and inanimate.</p><p>From atop Hrysta's golden frame - each hand gripping thoroughly one of her respective shoulders - the cleric could see so much more of the location than he was able to on foot. Icecrown was a mixture of barren, rime-filled valleys and menacing spires of unholy metal: saronite, he had heard it was called. He dreaded the idea of being impaled upon one of the many spines that loomed over the area, but that dread was soon vaporized by the familiar comfort of a voice from below,</p><p>"Quite the view, is it not?" the val'kyr spoke, her relentless wings seemingly unshaken by the elements. "What I would give to have the might to tear this all down with my bare hands..."</p><p>"What, you mean you don't already?" he teased.</p><p>She grinned, snickering. "I am afraid not. I suppose I could only demolish, mmm... <em>half</em> of this place, in my current state."</p><p>Raiel took a moment to study the brilliant, translucent length of his companion's wingspan, then inquired of her, "You know... I told you my story, but you never did tell me what <em>you</em> were doing out here."</p><p>"Ah... Well..." Hrysta began, her smile becoming a reluctant grimace. "When the barrier between this world and the Shadowlands was shattered, my goddess's master - the All-Father, Odyn - was among the first to see it for himself. He instructed her, who then instructed me to journey here and survey the damage."</p><p>"I see... Then-"</p><p>"But..."</p><p>"But?"</p><p>"... That is not the only reason why I am here."</p><p>"Go on."</p><p>"That... That is all I was <em>told</em> to do. It did not account for what I <em>wanted</em> to do."</p><p>"And what would that be, exactly?"</p><p>Hrysta sneered, "I wanted purpose. I wanted glory. I... I wanted more than a life spent ferrying fallen warriors to the Halls of Valor."</p><p>"Wait... So, that means you're-"</p><p>"Yes. Just like you," the val'kyr conceded, though she did not appear happy to admit it.</p><p>"You seem more troubled about the fact than not."</p><p>"No, I just..." she hesitated, growling beneath her breath. "... What happens when I return, hm? What am I to tell my goddess? That I defied her will and went looking for vindication and bloodshed, when all she wanted from me was a mere scouting report?!"</p><p>At Hrysta's growing aggravation, the cleric quickly pressed a palm against her bare back, a calming luster weaving itself throughout her spine. She exhaled, her mind warming with soothing thoughts and sensations.</p><p>"Breathe," he instructed, to which she did so, nodding her head.</p><p>"Thank you, I... I must admit, there... is a reason I have been so avid towards death in glorious combat..."</p><p>"... Because you see it as a way out?"</p><p>"Yes. And... And a cowardly one at that," the val'kyr confessed, an uncharacteristic deal of shame oozing from the concession.</p><p>"I don't think you're a coward," Raiel replied, earnest as ever. "You're just conflicted, like I am. And that's okay. We can work through this together... alright?"</p><p>Hrysta did not answer immediately, though when she did, it was with the same confidence he had come to know her for, "Very well, little one."</p><p>He smiled, yet it was a soft and subtle change to his expression. "You don't have to go through this alone. Together, we can- LOOK OUT!!!"</p><p>The val'kyr immediately dove to her right, just narrowly managing to avoid a seething canister of plague as it hurtled past the two and towards the ground below. She glanced only momentarily towards the devastation it unleashed on the troops beneath them before turning her attention to the source: an army of pustulent, rotting giants which stood stall before the gates of Icecrown Citadel. Before she could even think about engaging them herself, the crusaders on the ground did so in her stead, relentlessly swinging every weapon and slinging every spell they could towards the undead behemoths. The giants retaliated in kind, smashing clusters of the living beneath fist and boot alike.</p><p>Raiel could not see her for himself, but he knew for a fact that Hannah was among those troops, and the fear in his eyes more than relayed his concern for her well-being.</p><p>As Hrysta began her flight towards the upper levels of the citadel, she did her best to reaffirm, "Have faith in your allies, little one; for surely, they have faith in us."</p><p>Before he could respond however, the pair's gazes fell simultaneously upon a massive, aerial beast flying straight towards them. From its maw, the frost wyrm unleashed a torrent of icy breath, to which the val'kyr soared sharply upwards, the skeletal creature now beneath them.</p><p>"Hang on!" she warned her human ally. "Things are about to get a little bumpy!"</p><p>With that, she immediately dived towards the unliving dragon's skull, firmly driving her blade - and then planting both feet - just above its jagged snout. As the wyrm began to thrash violently in an attempt to fling Hrysta from its form, she used her embedded weapon to remain atop it. Clenching her teeth more fiercely than ever before, she began to drag her sword - its blade still penetrating her foe's skeletal frame - along the dragon's spine, sprinting along the length of its back as she did so; all the while, Raiel clinged helplessly to her shoulders, praying to the Light that she knew what she was doing - or at the very least, had faith in her own reckless plan.</p><p>Once she had reached the literal tail end of the wyrm, Hrysta leapt once more into the skies and spun quickly around, staring intently at the damage she had sown. A trail of blazing, holy fire had emerged across the length of the dragon's back, and it roared in agony as the flames consecrated its unholy essence, beginning to plummet to the battle raging below.</p><p>For a time, the two remained in place, both in awe of what had just transpired. Raiel was the first to break the newfound silence, "That was... so cool."</p><p>Smugly, the val'kyr glanced back at him with a grin, correcting him, "I believe you mean <em>I</em> am so cool."</p><p>"... Yeah, yeah. Don't get a swelled head. We still have plenty of undead to clear out."</p><p>"Right. Shall we get to it, then?"</p><p>The moment having passed, Hrysta and her escorts began to converge towards the upper ramparts of the citadel, its great spires of saronite looming overhead as they pressed the attack.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>After convening with their allies on the balcony known as the Deathbringer's Rise, the human and val'kyr found themselves entering into the dreaded heart of the Scourge known as Icecrown Citadel. Colder still than the surrounding tundra, it was as if they could both feel their spirits freezing to an icy husk as the essence of death itself flowed through their veins.</p><p>Despite this, Hrysta found herself obligated to try and lighten the mood, and she chose to attempt doing so by gesturing towards the massive spire of ice which stretched towards the sky at the center of the chamber.</p><p>"This must be how that fiendish prince of death once reached the Frozen Throne up above." Snickering, she added, "You think maybe he was compensating for something, hm?"</p><p>"Oh, grow up."</p><p>"I am much older than you."</p><p>One of the crusaders following from behind them interrupted their banter, "We should split up further if we're going to claim the upper citadel. My men will take the Plagueworks and the Crimson Hall. You two take the Frostwing Halls."</p><p>The val'kyr crossed her arms, scoffing at the order, "Just to be clear, I will not do so just because you told me to. I will do so because I <em>feel</em> like it."</p><p>"... Whatever you say, lady."</p><p>Now separated from their allies, Raiel and Hrysta began their approach towards the aforementioned location, the cleric pondering the history of the great battle which had taken place here years ago.</p><p>"Arthas was another soul who fell to corruptive influences," he explained, having learned of the fallen prince's tragedy through both texts and word of mouth. "He went from a divine man with noble intentions to the bane of Azeroth itself."</p><p>As the seeds of doubt began to replant themselves in his mind, the val'kyr staved off their influence with words as resolute as ever, "You are not him, nor are you that foul necromancer. You are a seedling, young and pure, and you have the potential to blossom into something great and mighty."</p><p>"Like you?"</p><p>"Mmm... Not <em>quite</em> as great as I am, but you may yet come close."</p><p>"I'll keep that in mind if we ever spar one of these days."</p><p>"If we do, I shall have to blind, gag, and handcuff myself to make it a fair fight."</p><p>"Oh really? Sounds more like you're just into that sort of thing."</p><p>"And why would an innocent little priestling like you know of such practices, hm?"</p><p>"The same reason a devout warrior of valor knows, I'd imagine."</p><p>The two paused, if only to share a bout of amiable laughter at their conversation. Even within these blighted halls, their joy shielded them from the citadel's overbearing sense of gloom and despair. Truly, they were eachother's light.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Eventually, they came across a pack of mindless undead roaming a wide and lengthy corridor, and at the very end of it could be spotted a woefully familiar face; the only difference being the absence of his shattered weapon, as well as the yellowed bandages wrapped around several digits. Even from afar, an expression which was half a smirk and half a grimace could be seen between the frayed hairs of his beard.</p><p>"Here already?" the necromancer began. "But I haven't even finished your surprise yet! Oh well... You'll just have to wait a bit longer before you can see it in all its glory."</p><p>With a wave of his wrist, he addressed his minions, "Please... Keep our guests entertained in the meantime, would you?", then took his leave, the cadavers roaming the hallway turning their collective attention to the living and starting to shamble towards them thereafter.</p><p>"Have you learned nothing, you pathetic wretch?" Hrysta shouted, her lips a bloodthirsty smile. "You can only hide behind your corpses for so long! I am coming for your heart!"</p><p>The val'kyr did not waste another moment, immediately charging forward and beginning to waylay the forces of the damned. Raiel did his best to assist her efforts, weaving a barrier of protective light around her body as she drew fully the attention of the zombie horde. One by one, her sword tore through their tattered frames like a cleaver through the flesh of hunted game.</p><p>In no time at all, the unliving had been entirely cut down by Hrysta's blade, its shining edge sullied by necrotic guts and gore. Without even stopping to catch her breath, she began to sprint deeper into the citadel, intent on exacting her revenge against the necromancer.</p><p>"Hrysta, wait!" her companion called out, carefully stepping over the fallen bodies of the twice-deceased in pursuit of the val'kyr.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>After a short jog, Raiel managed to reunite with his ally, finding her at the nearest side of a massive chamber, the other end being where the necromancer now stood; and at the center of the room between them could be seen a collection of gigantic bones, the majority of them seemingly belonging to what was once the spinal column of some kind of gargantuan creature.</p><p>"You cost me my good hand, runt," the practitioner of vile magics began. "But no worries. You'll soon compensate for it with your soul."</p><p>"The only thing I'll give you is a clean death... <em>Fredrick</em>," the cleric replied, a steely gaze falling upon the man whose identity he proclaimed to know the truth of.</p><p>Almost instantly, every ounce of confidence and complacency in the necromancer's visage found itself replaced by anger and hate. "My name..." he started, beginning to weave a foul, glowing potency around his good hand.</p><p>"... is <em><strong>NYREN!</strong></em>"</p><p>His betrayal to his former allies all but confirmed, he unleashed from his grip a blast of powerful death magic; although he did not aim for Hrysta or Raiel, but rather the pile of marrow before him. A tenebrous miasma began to creep across every bone in the room, and one by one, they began to rise from the ground, gradually arranging themselves before the duo. In time, they had amassed into the form of what could only be described as a giant, skeletal serpent, standing nearly three times the height of Hrysta herself.</p><p>Although Raiel appeared quite terrified before the unholy construct, his val'kyr companion merely bestowed a dark chuckle upon beholding it.</p><p>"Good," she sneered. "I like a challenge."</p><p>A horrifying hiss loosed from its maw, the foul creation immediately dove forwards, attempting to bite through Hrysta. Without a word, she leapt from the floor and landed swiftly atop the beast's skeletal frame, gripping one of its segments in order to maintain her hold upon the creature. In response, the serpent coiled back around, trying to close its jaws around her yet again. Once more, she soared upwards and evaded the attack, repeating her previous maneuver.</p><p>This time however, the monstrosity changed up its approach, instead electing to spew towards Hrysta a stream of necrotic acid. Although she was prepared to avoid it herself, the val'kyr was pleasantly surprised at the sight of holy magic shielding her from the blow, the venom melting away its radiance instead of her flesh. She gazed momentarily down at Raiel's extended palm and gave an obliged grin before returning her focus to the battle at hand.</p><p>Each time the serpent attempted to lunge at her, Hrysta responded in kind, leaping from one bone segment to another as it failed to land even a single bite upon her agile body. All the while, Nyren stood from afar, watching and waiting as the duel between warrior and construct transpired.</p><p>Inevitably, the val'kyr's tactics led to the serpent coiling a giant knot around its skeletal body, immobilized where it stood. Hissing and thrashing, it violently spewed acid from its jaws as it struggled to break free of its self-imposed prison.</p><p>Standing tall atop her incapacitated opponent, Hrysta feigned a yawn, then stared down at the beast she had so easily overwhelmed. "Is that it, then? And I did not even acquire a new scar. A shame."</p><p>With that, the val'kyr leapt high into air - unfurling her wings to gain an additional boost of height - then pointed her blade directly downwards and dove straight towards the ground. In the blink of an eye, she plunged her entire form right through countless sections of the construct's body, and only after she had reached the floor of the chamber did it erupt in a burst of divine light and shattered bone fragments, with both Raiel and Nyren shielding their eyes from the glory of it all.</p><p>Her blade hefted over her back, Hrysta posed heroically where there had once been a mighty skeletal serpent, her triumphant gaze upon the necromancer as she addressed his pathetic handiwork, "Really? Did you <em>really</em> think your paltry little creation would be my end?"</p><p>"No, not really," Nyren confessed. "But I <em>did</em> think it would tire you out."</p><p>With a snap of his fingers, he directed the val'kyr's attention to one of the chamber's titanic saronite chandeliers as the chain attaching it to the ceiling suddenly broke apart and it began to fall towards the floor; right where Raiel happened to be standing. The cleric could only watch helplessly as death appeared to stare him in the face, the shock rendering him unable to move from his predicament.</p><p>The confidence instantaneously shorn from her features, Hrysta threw her weapon to the ground and leapt for her ally, just barely managing to catch the massive object from underneath its gargantuan weight.</p><p>"N-ngh!... Gah!..." she sputtered, realizing that her opponent - as cowardly as he was - had been absolutely right.</p><p>Although Hrysta still had the strength to hold the chandelier's hefty weight above her, her battle with the serpent had left her without the stamina to remove it; and the moment she stopped pouring every ounce of that strength into the action, it would crush her like an insect.</p><p>Nyren wore a malefic smile as he approached, tone brimming with putrid satisfaction, "And now to drain your precious val'kyr essence, to be used in my <em>new</em> staff."</p><p>Using his good hand, the necromancer began unleashing an emerald current of draining magic, the lifeforce flowing from Hrysta's struggling frame and into his palm. With every passing moment, she grew weaker; and eventually, she would become too weak to prevent the chandelier's weight from overpowering her.</p><p>It was only after snapping out of his shock that Raiel realized the situation at hand, as well as the urgency which threatened the lives of both himself and his companion.</p><p>"Move... now! Or you... will be crushed... too!" the val'kyr hissed at him through clenched teeth, sweat beginning to pour down her golden muscles as she strained more and more against her impending demise.</p><p>Wordlessly, he shook his head, unwilling to leave her to die. Instead, he began to channel his own healing magic into her body, attempting to counteract Nyren's debilitating sorcery.</p><p>At his foe's efforts, the necromancer merely hastened his own, the two spellcasters both struggling to affect the val'kyr as she teetered upon the edge of her doom.</p><p>As every insecurity in his mind started to ring forth - that he would not be enough, that he would cause them both to fail if only because of his own weakness - Raiel fought tooth and nail against not just his opponent's powers, but his own doubt as well.</p><p>He was determined like no other to see both himself and Hrysta through this conflict, and by the Light - in all its divine glory - he would.</p><p>Pressing both palms against one of the val'kyr's quivering arms - its veins varicose with golden ichor from the pressure upon them - Raiel began to channel his powers directly from his flesh and into hers, the warmth of their souls as one.</p><p>"<em>I believe in you,</em>" he whispered, every thought of his yearning for her success.</p><p>And it was through the Light's grace that the Hrysta could indeed know those thoughts. They touched her heart with their warmth, and that warmth soon spread from her heart and into her very bones, providing her an ethereal, otherworldly strength: the strength she needed to win the day.</p><p>Body, mind and soul alike beaming with brilliance, she began to push with a renewed and revitalized vigor upwards, slowly but surely causing both herself and the chandelier to ascend.</p><p>As the potency of his ritual started to wane, Nyren found himself utterly bewildered by the val'kyr's strength as he stuttered, "What? No... That's... That's i-impossible! The Jailer promised me untold power! He promised-"</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"NGGGRRAAAGGGHHH!!!"</em> </strong>
</p><p>With a wail that shook the very walls of the citadel, Hrysta threw the chandelier in its entirety across the room, caring not where it was to land upon the ground. Fortunate for her - and unfortunate for the necromancer - was it that Nyren stood directly in its path as it soared through the air. He stood, paralyzed as Raiel had been earlier, and was not even given the chance to embrace death as it claimed him.</p><p>The chandelier crashed into the floor with a deafening sound of shrieking metal, absolutely obliterating the necromancer's body. Where there had once been a man wielding unholy magics, there were now only fractured saronite fragments stained with but the barest layer of crimson.</p><p>Hrysta collapsed to her hands and knees, panting and wheezing as sweat escaped from every pore along her glistening skin. Raiel did his best to support her weight, although he was unable to move her even an inch from her current position.</p><p>As her breathing steadied and her natural strength began to return unto her aching muscles, the val'kyr bestowed unto her companion the weakest of smiles, then turned and addressed the wreckage of the chandelier:</p><p>"Looks like you could not hold a candle to me."</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Guiding his weary companion with one hand, Raiel gingerly took steps alongside Hrysta as they made their way back towards the center chamber. By now, it had amassed with a number of crusaders, as those who had been charged with conquering the lower citadel had seemingly succeeded in their mission and subsequently ascended to the upper wing of the fortress. Raiel scanned the crowd for any sight of Hannah, relief washing over his tired expression as the back of her magenta hair came into view.</p><p>As he approached however, the cleric immediately gasped, "Hannah... Your arm!..."</p><p>Raiel gestured towards the limb in question; or rather, where it <em>should</em> have been.</p><p>Surprised, she turned to face him, and a fatigued smile accompanied her words, "Yeah... Laugh it up, alright? An abomination's cleaver got the best of me, I'm afraid. No big deal."</p><p>"No big deal? You're MISSING an arm!" he argued, his features pale.</p><p>"It happens. I've still got one, which means I can hold a sword. I can still fight, and that's all that matters to me."</p><p>"I... I mean... If you say so," Raiel reluctantly agreed. "Is everyone else alright?"</p><p>"We had a few unavoidable casualties, but other than that, we've succeeded in our mission. I trust you've done the same."</p><p>He nodded, after which the val'kyr raised her head ever so slightly and affirmed, "Nyren is dead..."</p><p>Hannah grimaced at the knowledge, although whether it was out of pity for his fate or disgust for his betrayal remained unspoken. "One less tool the Scourge has at its disposal," was all she declared.</p><p>Hrysta took a moment to shift into a more comfortable sitting position, and Raiel did the same beside her, inquiring of the crusader, "So... We've taken control of the citadel, then. What now?"</p><p>"Well," Hannah explained, "Alongside members of the Ebon Blade, we'll take efforts to reinforce this place - as well as the rest of Icecrown - if the Scourge try and make an attempt to reclaim it. Some of our forces, however, are heading to the Frozen Throne alongside them, to journey forth into the Shadowlands and put a stop to this invasion."</p><p>"The Shadowlands?"</p><p>She nodded. "It's the realm from which those empowering the Scourge's forces emerged into Icecrown. The gaping hole in the sky up above connects them to Azeroth, but it also connects <em>us</em> to the Shadowlands."</p><p>"It is... the realm of the dead," Hrysta added, suddenly speaking up. "I... do not know much - only what Eyir has told me, from what Odyn has told <em>her</em> - but I know that it is where the souls of the departed reside."</p><p>"The departed?" Raiel inquired, expression suddenly illuminated by curiosity. "You mean... the dead?"</p><p>"Yes," the val'kyr answered, tilting her head slightly to face him.</p><p>His mind suddenly swarming with possibilities, the cleric met Hrysta's gaze with his own as he asked of her, "Do... Do you think my parents might be there? On the other side?"</p><p>She shook her head. "You do not even know if they are deceased, let alone who they are, Raiel. It would be like searching for a single feather in the Fields of the Eternal Hunt."</p><p>"Two feathers," Hannah corrected, to which the val'kyr simply stuck her tongue out at the crusader.</p><p>"I know, I know, but... I... don't have anywhere else to go now, least of all home. And I reckon you could say the same yourself."</p><p>Hrysta went silent and turned her gaze away from him, unable to contest his point despite her desire to do so.</p><p>Approaching the rising Raiel, Hannah laid a hand - now her only hand - upon his shoulder once more. "You can always stay here with us, Raiel. Icecrown isn't the best place to call home, but I imagine it's still leagues safer than whatever awaits you on the other side."</p><p>"No, I... I have to do this. And you should come with us," he added, earning a raised brow from the woman. "You told me you lost your parents to the Scourge. Maybe you'll be able to see them again?"</p><p>Hannah's lips parted for a moment, but she swiftly closed them and shook her head. "... Even if that were true, I still have an obligation to watch over the Crusade's efforts here in Icecrown. I couldn't abandon that charge for my own personal reasons."</p><p>Raiel exhaled, nodding in understanding of the sentiment.</p><p>"You, though," she went on, "If... If you're really sure you want to do this, don't let me hold you back. Don't let anyone. Just... promise me you'll take care of yourself out there, alright? For me?"</p><p>Smiling, the cleric nodded again. "Of course I will. I don't think I'll be dying anytime soon, thanks to her," he declared, gesturing towards Hrysta as she too finally rose from the ground.</p><p>"You had better not," the val'kyr threatened, now seemingly renewed after her earlier struggle. "Or I will shove your spirit right back into your body, where it belongs."</p><p>The two humans chuckled at her sentiment, then turned and embraced eachother for just a moment's time.</p><p>"You ready to go?" Raiel asked, turning to face Hrysta.</p><p>She nodded, wearing a weary yet confident smile. "The Banshee Queen no doubt awaits us on the other side. I will make her pay dearly for her crimes against my goddess."</p><p>Hannah grinned at the val'kyr's declaration, saluting her as she spoke, "You give Sylvanas a good thrashing for me, will you? For all of us."</p><p>After giving an affirmative dip of her head, Hrysta hefted Raiel once more onto her back, then unleashed her golden wings and leapt up into the air, beginning to soar upwards and spiraling around the monumental pillar of rime at the citadel's core, the likes of which would lead the two to where the way into the Shadowlands had first been opened: the Frozen Throne.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>At the very apex of Icecrown itself stood the Frozen Throne: an unholy seat of power at which countless infamous events had taken place over the course of Azeroth's history. Merely beholding the sight of such an unhallowed location was enough to unnerve Raiel as his val'kyr companion ascended up to its height, then lowered herself to the ground and allowed him to do the same. It was at this moment that he made the innocuous decision to look up, only to be met with a sight that had somehow eluded him all this time: that of the shattered sky above.</p><p>Fragmented and broken, it was as if the citadel itself had pierced the heavens with its jagged spires, leaving a gaping wound in reality. The blazing fires of an unknown realm swirled incessantly, as if churning with the torment and anguish of countless souls. Briefly, Raiel swore that he could faintly hear the tortured screams of those trapped within its depths, and his heart momentarily wept for them.</p><p>So exhilarating was the sight that he subconsciously took a step backwards, only to find that there was no ground where he had done so. The cleric nearly toppled off the side of the precipice right then and there, but Hrysta swiftly grabbed his nearest arm and pulled him back from the abyss.</p><p>"Am I going to have to hold your hand the entire time we are there?" she scolded, to which Raiel meekly apologized, "... S-Sorry..."</p><p>He turned his attention from the shattered sky to the structure in front of him; or rather, the figure who stood beside it, a charred grasp around a deathly warhammer, and a burning, contemplative gaze upon the realm above them. By the scars across his blackened body alone - and despite his own sheltered upbringing - Raiel knew in an instant the imposing man's identity, whispering to himself,</p><p>"... Bolvar Fordragon."</p><p>"If you've come for passage into the Shadowlands," the Highlord suddenly began, turning his searing gaze towards the two before him. "You're too late. The others have already ventured forth into the Maw."</p><p>Although she stood before a soul revered by both the Alliance and the Ebon Blade, Hrysta appeared less than impressed, crossing her arms as she addressed him, "So... You are the one who lost to Sylvanas? With an entire army at your disposal? Tch. Good going."</p><p>Raiel immediately turned to face her with a sour expression, chastising, "Hrysta! That is no way to-"</p><p>"No... She is right to be upset." Bolvar conceded. "I underestimated her strength, but more importantly, her intent. Now, the fates of both life and death hang in the balance."</p><p>The cleric, hesitant to approach, took but a few steps forward before addressing the former Lich King, "We're heading up there; both of us. There are some things we'd... like to accomplish, in the Shadowlands." Hrysta emphasized her own intent by pressing one palm against her other hand's knuckles, then cracking them summarily.</p><p>"The realm you speak of is no place for mere mortals. It is a plane of infinite worlds, and what you seek could be among any one of them," the Highlord warned.</p><p>"What I seek," explained the val'kyr. "Is the banshee's head. If this realm above us truly is the Maw, I have a very good feeling that she will be there."</p><p>Suddenly, Bolvar raised his hammer from the ground, pointing it up towards the aforementioned abyss with but a single hand. "The Maw is a place of inescapable torment. Should you choose to delve within, you may not be able to leave it."</p><p>Worry crept into Raiel's features, as the cleric knew quite well that he and his companion had already encountered several near-death experiences in their short time together. This place - the Maw - seemed as though it might have been beyond what they alone were capable of dealing with.</p><p>He turned to face Hrysta, gently nudging her arm as he spoke, "He... He may be right, Hrysta. This is more dangerous than anything either of us have ever done. What if we can never come back to Azeroth?"</p><p>The val'kyr gazed out over the nebulous horizon for a moment; more specifically, towards the south, where just beyond the waters of the Great Sea could be found the fields of Stormheim: her birthplace, and her home.</p><p>"I... have nothing here worth coming back to," she lied, gaze lowered unto Raiel. "Do you?"</p><p>He closed his eyes, then exhaled, and finally spoke, "... No."</p><p>"Then we go," she asserted, wrapping her entire hand around the cleric's midsection and hefting him atop her back once more.</p><p>"Be warned," Bolvar began, calling out to the duo. "The evil within the Maw is unlike anything on Azeroth. You must steel not only your bodies, but your souls as well, lest they be broken just the same."</p><p>Her wings beginning to flap as she hovered above the pillar of frost beneath her, Hrysta bestowed unto the Highlord a haughty reply, "Clearly, you do not know me. I do not break; I do the breaking."</p><p>With a roll of his eyes, Raiel watched as Icecrown Citadel - as well as Azeroth in its entirety - grew farther and farther away as the val'kyr ascended up into the infernal hellscape of the Maw, the sensation of torment growing more profound as a structure all too similar to that of the one right below them began to come into view.</p><p>Bolvar gazed up at the pair as they departed, then muttered beneath his breath, "Light... I pray they know what they're getting themselves into..."</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em>"Both times, you came so close to victory - and both times, you failed."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Bah! Defeating those two wouldn't have a made a difference, anyway! There are hundreds of heroes just like them! ... A-And rest assured, they'll be yours in time. I'm sure of it."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Mm... Clearly, they were enough of a problem to thwart you. Twice."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"The solution should be simple, then! Separate them, and they'll no longer be a threat! To anyone!"</em>
</p><p><em>"Yes... I have plans for them; and plans for </em>you<em> as well."</em></p><p>
  <em>"I-I... erm... Surely, my lord, you'll give me another chance to do them in... Right?..."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"That depends. Why should I?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Well... I... I can-"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Fail me again? For the third time now?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"No, never! Of course not, my lord! I... um... "</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"... When you were out there, struggling against the cold - surrounded by the frostbitten bodies of your fallen allies - it was I alone who answered your prayers for salvation; I alone who gave you your purpose. And I can take that purpose away."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Of course, of course! I just... I need more power! I need the power to CRUSH any who would stand before you! Or me!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"And what shall come of me bestowing upon you this power, hm? What can you do with it?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I... I-I will..."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"..."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I will deliver unto you the world-soul of Azeroth herself, my lord."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"... A bold promise to make - but even bolder would I be in holding someone like you to it."</em>
</p><p><em>"All I require is the power - </em>your<em> power - to make it so; and then, it shall be as you will it."</em></p><p>
  <em>"You swear yourself to this charge, then?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I do, my lord..."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"..."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"..."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Then I shall make it so."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"... Thank you, my lord."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Pray to every higher power you know that I do not have to save you again."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I'm not the one who needs saving.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Not anymore."</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And there you have it! While this marks the end of A Light in the Cold, I'll be following it up with another story - In Death's Shadow - which will be much larger in scale, and take place across the whole of Shadowlands as an expansion.</p><p>I hope you enjoyed this, and I hope you'll check out its follow-up as well!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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